Information Systems

Maintenance operations rely on accurate and timely information regarding road and weather conditions before and during winter storm events. Some of the technologies showcased how MTO is improving the flow of condition reporting at the field level.

Road and Weather Information Systems (RWIS) are comprised of pavement and weather stations located in 113 locations across the province. They are designed to provide field offices with current and forecasted road and weather condition information to assist with winter operations decisions.

To protect road surfaces and foundations, load restrictions are placed on surface-treated highways in northern Ontario. These restrictions are imposed during the spring thaw when the highway surface or foundation is susceptible to road damage such as fatigue cracking by fully loaded trucks. Instrumentation at three field sites is being used to develop frost prediction models that can be used with RWIS forecasts to accurately determine when the spring load restrictions need to be imposed and when they can safely be removed.

An infrared camera mounted on a utility pole in Eastern Region is being evaluated for its ability to automatically detect and measure frost, snow and ice on the pavement surface. This system illuminates the surface with an infra-red beam and measures the wavelength and intensity of light reflected back. This is used by the system to estimate the proportion and depth of material on the surface, and the traction level. It also provides a digital photo that is transmitted to a website used by maintenance staff for condition monitoring.